The second season of HBO’s absurdist comedy Los Espookys kicks off Friday. The show, produced by and co-starring SNL veteran Fred Armisen, Ana Fabrega, and Julio Torres, is primarily in Spanish but quickly found a mainstream audience.
That said, it’s a little hard to describe, even for its creators. “I mean, the basic [pitch] is like sort of like, ‘Four friends put together a group that are hired to fool people,'” Armisen tells ABC Audio, admitting that falls short.
“I know, it feels so hard to distill,” Fabrega agrees.
“That’s why the elevator pitch would need, like, an emergency stop and like, ‘Okay, I need a few minutes to describe this,'” she says with a laugh.
The basic premise is sort of like if the Scooby-Doo gang pulled off hauntings instead of solving them, but the comedy quickly built its own madcap world.
“The show just kept evolving and evolving…and it just got more and more absurd because that’s our shared sensibility,” Torres explains.
For Armisen, who is partially of Peruvian descent, producing the show gave him a unique opportunity to bring a different comedic voice to a mainstream American audience.
“It was mostly about just wanting to see a culture in a part of Latin American culture that we don’t see very often, which is something a little more fantastical…,” he explains. “That was the thing that was a sort of launching pad. But from there, it just became something…much deeper.”
Fabrega agrees, adding she’s happy the show is restarting during Hispanic Heritage Month. “It is really fun to kind of show…like a different take of Latinx representation,” she says. “…I think it’s very freeing to show like, yeah, there’s all different sort of walks of life under the enormous umbrella that is ‘Latinx.'”
Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s live album and documentary film focusing on a previously unheard and unseen 1970 concert at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall both got their release today.
The album, titled At the Royal Albert Hall, is available on CD, cassette, 180-gram vinyl and digital formats.
The film, Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall, premiered today on Netflix. As previously reported, the movie, which is and is narrated by Jeff Bridges, includes footage of CCR’s entire April 14, 1970, concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It also features archival interviews with all four Creedence members, scenes of the band touring Europe in 1970 and a look at the group’s history.
“Of the live performances that we have recorded, that was the best performance,” CCR drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford tells ABC Audio of the Royal Albert Hall show.
Clifford says he got a kick out of watching footage of the gig, noting that the movie is Creedence’s first and only concert film.
“It’s really a funny thing. I know that’s us and I know that’s me on the drums … but when I look at it, it’s like it’s another band,” Cosmo says. “You know, I’m watching somebody else pound away on the stage.”
Regarding Bridges’ participation in the film, Clifford says, “I’m a big fan of his, for sure … I can’t think of a better narrator than Jeff.”
Meanwhile, the Travelin’ Band film will be available on Blu-ray as part of a super deluxe At the Royal Albert Hall box set that will be released November 14. The package also will feature CD and two-LP vinyl versions of the album, a bonus CD containing music that’s featured in the movie, a booklet and more.
Here’s the album’s full track list:
“Born on the Bayou”
“Green River”
“Tombstone Shadow”
“Travelin’ Band”
“Fortunate Son”
“Commotion”
“Midnight Special”
“Bad Moon Rising”
“Proud Mary”
“The Night Time Is the Right Time”
“Good Golly Miss Molly”
“Keep On Chooglin'”
Mariah Carey opened up about the flack she received from the music industry when she came out with Butterfly, her sixth studio album.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, the Grammy vented her frustration about being belittled and doubted by “the corporate morgue, the entities that run things.”
Mariah began working on Butterfly amid her divorce from Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola and knew she wanted her music to embrace her heritage. That meant exploring hip-hop and R&B, but her label wanted her to continue her career in “purely pop records.”
“Hip hop existed long before these guys, who were in control of the record business, knew of it or knew about it. They thought it was a trend or a passing fad,” she quipped. “They thought they knew better.”
The singer believes the pushback arose from “a confusion over what box to put me in” because she was mixed race. She also felt her label feared her music would become “too urban.”
“It wasn’t anyone’s favorite thing that I wanted to do hip hop-ish records,” she continued. “…People did not believe in it, or believe in me in that genre and that moment.”
Butterfly went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide and was nominated for three Grammy Awards. The making of this album will be explored in the upcoming documentary series about her life, directed by Lee Daniels.
Mariah celebrated Butterfly‘s 25th anniversary on Friday, writing on Instagram, “I will never forget the day I released this album to the world. I had never felt more exposed and vulnerable yet free and euphoric at the same time.”
She called the album “one of the proudest moments of my life.”
Mariah unleashed a bunch of Butterfly-related anniversary goodies, which are available on her official online store.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Chris Cornell Estate
Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and Alice Cooper are among the artists playing Rock the Plaza, an upcoming fundraising concert supporting the restoration of the historic Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, California.
The show takes place November 11 and is being presented by the Save the Plaza Theatre initiative. The city-run campaign aims to bring the venue, which first opened in 1936, back to its “former glory” following years of disrepair.
Other artists on the lineup include Bad Company‘s Paul Rodgers, ex-Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, Paul McCartney live guitarist Brian Ray, touring Queen member Spike Edney, The Who live bassist Jon Button and guitar virtuoso Orianthi.
Many of the participating acts live or have close connections to Palm Springs, including Homme, who famously records his Desert Sessions collaborative projects in the Palm Desert.
(LONDON) — David Beckham joined the miles-long queue Friday to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
The soccer legend joined the hundred of thousands of people waiting in line for hours to pay respects to the monarch, who is currently lying in state at Westminster Hall ahead of her state funeral on Monday.
“I grew up in a household of royalists and I was brought up that way,” Beckham told ITV News from the queue. “If my grandparents would have been here today I know that they would have wanted to be here, so I am here on their behalf and on behalf of my family.”
The former Manchester United star is married to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, with whom he shares four children, sons Brooklyn, 23; Romeo, 20; and Cruz, 17; as well as daughter Harper, 11.
“It’s a sad day, but it’s a day for us to remember the incredible legacy that she left,” he said of the queen, adding that “Her Majesty meant so much in so many different ways.”
Beckham said he was “lucky to have a few moments” with the queen throughout his life and career, noting that the “most special moment” for him was receiving his Officer of the Order of the British Empire distinction, or OBE, which was bestowed on him by Elizabeth herself in 2003.
Elizabeth died Sept. 8 at age 96 and is the longest-reigning British monarch, having held the throne for 70 years.
The late queen’s eldest son King Charles III has since inherited the throne.
(LONDON) — The death of Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled for seven decades, has brought about a moment of transition for the British monarchy. And that also applies to the monarchy’s finances.
King Charles III, her son, ascended to the throne but likely will not be officially crowned for months. Currency in Britain and Commonwealth countries worldwide still features Elizabeth, and it remains unclear when Charles will appear on money.
For now, the royal family joins Britain in a national mourning period until Sept. 19, the day her funeral takes place.
Questions have already surfaced, however, about the inheritance of Elizabeth’s personal wealth, which totals in the hundreds of millions of dollars; as well as the fate of the British monarchy’s fortune, which stands in the tens of billions, according to Fortune.
The succession marks a transition period for the royal family’s assets, which include a vast set of valuable properties across Britain. Those assets yield annual profit to the British government and the royal family, but some Britons have questioned whether the financial arrangement ultimately benefits Britain, especially as it faces economic difficulty amid sky-high inflation.
Further interest focuses on the outlook for the powerful brand affiliated with the royal family, which draws tourists to Britain from around the world and appears on merchandise emblazoned with the royal coat of arms.
Here’s what you need to know about the British monarchy’s finances:
What was Elizabeth’s net worth and what happens to it now?
The net worth of Elizabeth — not including the wealth of the monarchy as a whole — stands in the hundreds of millions but the exact figure remains shrouded in mystery, since the House of Windsor does not release information on her total assets.
Fortune estimates Elizabeth’s net worth at $500 million. While expert David McClure, in his 2020 book The Queen’s True Worth, pegged her assets at $468 million.
Elizabeth derived her personal wealth from expensive goods like jewelry and art, as well as investment holdings and real estate. Her portfolio of privately held real estate included Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in England.
Charles is expected to inherit much of Queen Elizabeth’s personal wealth, though some of her fortune is tied up with monarchy holdings and could follow a more complicated path of inheritance.
How much wealth does the royal family have and where does it come from?
The wealth of the royal family, also known as “The Firm,” stands at an estimated $28 billion, according to Fortune.
The largest source of wealth for the royal family is the Crown Estate — a large portfolio of assets valued at $19.2 billion, according to a report from the Crown Estate. The Crown Estate includes more than 191,000 acres of rural land, including the famed Windsor Castle; as well as retail and leisure businesses and high-end London properties.
The royal family owns the Crown Estate in name only, however, since it falls under the control of the British government. The government, in turn, provides 25% of the profit the Crown Estate generates to the royal family from the national treasury in what’s called the “Sovereign Grant,” which essentially amounts to a subsidy from taxpayers. Last year, the grant totaled $99.4 million, a financial report from the Crown Estate showed.
Another major source of wealth for the royal family is The Duchy of Cornwall, a vast property valued at $1.2 billion. The estate, established in 1337 and made up of land across Britain, traditionally gets passed down to the heir to the throne upon succession, so it will transfer from Charles to his eldest son, William.
The Duchy of Lancaster, another centuries-old estate, is valued at $942.05 million. The profits from this estate go to the reigning monarch.
Additional wealth associated with the royal family centers on its brand, which generates $2.03 billion in economic activity for Britain each year by drawing global tourists, enhancing the value of merchandise emblazoned with a Royal Warrant or a Coat of Arms and adding to the appeal of television shows about the monarchy, according to a 2017 examination conducted by public relations research firm BrandFinance.
Does the British royal family pay taxes?
The British royal family pays some taxes but avoids others levied on wealthy families in Britain.
For instance, Charles will not pay inheritance taxes on the hundreds of millions in assets he will likely receive from Elizabeth. However, for others in Britain, any inheritance valued over $380,000 is slapped with a 40% tax.
Similarly, the royal family does not have a legal obligation to pay the country’s capital gains tax or income tax, according to a “Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation” published by the government in 2013.
Charles, however, has voluntarily paid a 45% income tax on money he has taken in from the Duchy of Cornwall.
Other taxes paid by the royal family include capital gains and income taxes incurred by Elizabeth and Charles from their personal wealth. For decades, the two most powerful figures in the royal family have also paid such taxes on income from royal assets when those were not used in an official capacity.
Some members of the British public question whether the royal family should be allowed to forgo some taxes. The frustration, they argue, is particularly pronounced at a time of economic difficulty for the United Kingdom, when inflation stands at an elevated rate of 9.9%.
“It’s hard to justify that, especially when so many people are struggling,” a resident of Britain told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Wednesday.
Even though he’s in the midst of his Rock N Roll Cowboy Tour, Jason Aldean is making time for family: He recently posted a sweet snapshot of his youngest daughter, Navy, captioning the image “Daddy’s girl.”
In the photo, 3-year-old Navy — who Jason shares with wife Brittany Aldean — is relaxing on her dad’s lap with his arms around her. The snap shows the tattoo Jason got of her name on his forearm.
Both Jason and Brittany frequently share pictures of their family life together, giving fans a peek into home life with Navy and her big brother, 4-year-old Memphis.
Memphis recently joined his dad onstage in Maine and “even gave the fans ‘The Salute’ at the end of the show,” the proud dad posted on social media at the time.
Jason is also dad to two teenage daughters, Keeley and Kendyl, who he shares with his first wife, Jessica Ussery.
Steely Dan‘s first seven studio albums, released from 1972 through 1980 on ABC and MCA Records, will be reissued on vinyl as part of a yearlong campaign, set to kick off this November.
The initiative is being overseen by founding Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen and will feature the release of the albums on 180-gram vinyl, limited-edition premium Ultra High-Quality Vinyl mastered at 45 rpm and on the Super Audio CD format aka SACD.
The reissue campaign begins November 4 with the rerelease of the band’s 1972 debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill, which featured hits “Do It Again” and “Reelin’ In the Years,” as well as the enduring gem “Dirty Work.” The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified Platinum.
The other six reissues — 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy, 1974’s Pretzel Logic, 1975’s Katy Lied, 1976’s The Royal Scam, 1977’s Aja and 1980’s Gaucho — will be released periodically throughout 2022 and 2023.
All of the albums are being meticulously remastered, most of them from the original analog tapes.
The Ultra High-Quality Vinyl versions are pressed on 200-gram vinyl and will be packaged in a box that includes a booklet explaining the creation of the superior-quality disc, along with a certificate of inspection.
You can preorder the Can’t Buy a Thrill reissue now.
Wolfgang Van Halen has announced a deluxe version of his band Mammoth WVH‘s self-titled debut album.
The expanded collection is due out November 11 and includes three bonus tracks: “Talk & Walk,” which was previously exclusive to the Japanese version of the album, and the previously unreleased songs “As Long As You’re Not You” and “Goodbye.”
The original Mammoth WVH was released in June 2021. It includes the singles “Don’t Back Down,” “Epiphany” and “Distance,” Wolf’s tribute song to his late father, the iconic Eddie Van Halen.
Mammoth WVH is heading to Europe with Alter Bridge in November, followed by a U.S. tour with Myles Kennedy and company that’ll launch January 2023. Before that, Wolf will perform at the Los Angeles Taylor Hawkins tribute concert on September 27; he played Foo Fighters‘ London tribute show earlier this month.
The next era of Paramore is officially about to begin.
Hayley Williams and company have announced a new single called “This Is Why,” which will premiere on September 28. You can presave it now.
“This Is Why” is the first fresh offering from Paramore in five years. The group’s most recent album is 2017’s After Laughter, which spawned the single “Hard Times.”
The single announcement comes after Paramore launched a mysterious calendar on their website earlier this week. Initially, Friday’s date, September 16, was left blank but now reads, “presave t.i.w.”
The next marked date on the calendar is Monday, September 19, which promises Paramore will “start spreading the news.”
Meanwhile, Paramore is set to launch a U.S. tour in October, marking the band’s first live dates since 2018.
